Callum McManaman Could Miss FA Cup Semi-Final After Horror Tackle

Wigan Athletic forward Callum McManaman is set to miss the FA Cup semi-final against Milwall at Wembley with The Football Association preparing to take retrospective action following the 21 year old's tackle on Newcastle United's Massadio Haidara.

McManaman escaped punishment after catching the Toon defender on the knee during the 2-1 win at the DW Stadium on Sunday, with Alan Pardew later admitting referee Mark Halsey apologised for missing the challenge at half-time.

Halsey's admission could lead to retrospective action from The FA, with the governing body only permitted to act on incidents not seen by the officials, where the referee felt he acted inadequately or when the episode is so severe it requires an extended punishment.

The FA have 48 hours after an incident to open proceedings against a team or an individual.

McManaman's challenge went unchallenged against Newcastle.

Should McManaman be charged, he would be expected to receive a three-game ban and miss two crucial relegation six-pointers against Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers as well as the FA Cup semi-final against Millwall at Wembley.

The former Blackpool loanee has scored twice in The Latics' run to the last four, against Huddersfield Town and Everton but his breakthrough season with Wigan is likely to be interrupted by a lengthy spell on the side-lines during a pivotal part in the season.

Roberto Martinez, the Wigan manager whose side are now three points from safety after Arouna Kone's 90th minute winner against Newcastle, said: "What you need to look at in those incidents is if there is intention, a nastiness about the tackle. We are not a nasty team.

"He has not got a nasty bone and is not bad-intentioned. The referee was in a perfect position; he is looking at the incident, where the ball is and where the ball is hitting.

"When you get the ball and then there is a follow-up it is very difficult for a panel to punish that."

Haidara was stretched from the pitch and immediately went to hospital.

Haidara, who joined Newcastle in the January transfer window from Nancy, was rushed to hospital after the challenge, which ended his involvement 14 minutes after he had replaced fellow full-back Mathieu Debuchy.

"It is an awful challenge," said Pardew, whose side suffered a double injustice after a handball in the elad up to the Wigan winner was against missed by Halsey. "The pictures speak for themselves. I thought it was a bad challenge and I was 60 yards from the incident. The players knew because they were on top of it and there was a lot of bad feeling about that incident when it goes unpunished.

"He [Halsey] said 'If I've missed it I apologise' - that was at half-time. If it goes unpunished it doubles the impact on the mentality of the players and the team and it did have an impact on us, you can't get away from that.

"My job was to calm the players at half-time, not go looking for retribution, and try to win the second half - which to all intents and purposes we did. But again there's a decision at the end where we should have had a corner, it goes up the other end and there's a handball - that is tough to take.

"The linesman is looking right at it, the referee is there and all our players reacted and in that split second we didn't clear the ball - that's what happens when you miss a decision as big as that."